GrammarJLPT N5
→ (some) more
(Some) More / Even More
JLPT N5AdverbNeutral
もっと is a commonly used adverb that means "more" or "even more." It modifies verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to indicate a greater degree, amount, or extent of something. Unlike より, which is used to make direct comparisons between two specific things (A is more X than B), もっと simply expresses the idea of increasing a quality or quantity beyond its current level without necessarily naming what it is being compared to. It is also different from さらに, which carries a more formal or literary tone and often implies an additional step beyond what has already been achieved. もっと is natural in both spoken and written Japanese across all levels of formality, making it one of the first comparison-related words learners encounter. It can express a desire for more of something, an encouragement to do something to a greater degree, or a factual observation that something is more so than expected.
Examples
Example #1
もっとゆっくり話してください。
Here もっと modifies the adverb ゆっくり (slowly) to request that someone speak at a slower pace than they currently are. The speaker is not comparing two people's speaking speeds but rather asking for an increase in slowness from the current level. This is one of the most common everyday uses of もっと.Please speak more slowly.
Structures
- Before a verb
- もっと + Verb
- Before an adjective
- もっと + Adjective
- Before an adverb
- もっと + Adverb
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing もっと with もう. While もっと means "more" in the sense of a greater degree or amount, もう combined with a counter or quantity (e.g., もう一つ) means "one more" or "another." Learners sometimes use もっと when they should use もう少し (a little more), which is softer and more specific in quantity. Another frequent error is placing もっと after the word it modifies instead of before it; since it is an adverb, it must come before the verb, adjective, or adverb it modifies. Finally, some learners unnecessarily add より alongside もっと in sentences where no explicit comparison target is stated, which can sound redundant or unnatural.
Related
よりさらにずっとまだまだもう少し